Clinique's Viral Black Honey Lipstick Now Comes in a New Shade

17.06.2025, 13:05 allure.com

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It’s hard to outshine an icon—especially when said icon just so happens to be Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick.

The best-selling, slim-tubed lip product, which has been a household name since the ‘70s, has become even more beloved over the last few years—seven tubes are sold every minute globally, according to the brand—so much so that it’s taken over TikTok FYPs and has even earned its own Allure Readers’ Choice Award (and rightfully so). "Its success lies in its color and formula: a sheer, moisturizing, red-raisin balm," New York City-based makeup artist Tommy Napoli previously told Allure. "When 1970s naturalism was a pendulum response to the makeup-rich '60s, Black Honey answered a need for a you-but-better traditional lipstick that didn't necessarily make a statement or look like lipstick."

Sure, a sheer lipstick sounds a bit like an oxymoron, but that’s just what makes it so special. And somehow, the nearly-black shade looks great on everyone, no matter how many layers are worn. “What makes Black Honey unique is that it's universal—it's perfectly between a warm and cool tone,” makeup artist Jewels Grogan previously told Allure.

And now, Clinique is hoping to add another shining star to its Almost Lipstick repertoire: Nude Honey.

Clinique

Ulta Beauty

Nude Honey is “a soft mocha nude with a red undertone,” says Scott Miselnicky, vice president of global product development of Clinique Makeup, who adds that the versatile shade—which, like its predecessor, is formulated with both warm and cool pigments—took 12 iterations before landing on the final version, which is set to hit makeup counters on June 20.

And like Black Honey, Nude Honey gives the same sheer but buildable tint with the gleaming finish we all know and love. It’s also formulated with nourishing emollients you’d find on Black Honey’s ingredient label, like castor oil, which is “a hydrating and lubricating fatty acid,” Ife J. Rodney, MD, a board-certified dermatologist, previously told Allure. So regardless of how much color is built up, lips will feel moisturized for the entire time you’re wearing it.

Associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen before applying Nude Honey.

Associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen after applying Nude Honey.

As someone who rarely wears lipstick anymore because I often find the formulas too drying (I’ve since moved on to liner and lip balm), I can attest that Nude Honey—and really, all of the Almost Lipstick shades— are super hydrating.

Quick interlude: Did you know that there’s actually a third shade in the Almost Lipstick family? Yeah, I didn’t either, but it’s called Pink Honey, and I discovered it while testing and writing this review…and then immediately fell in love. The shade, which originally launched in 2015 as a limited-edition hue in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, hit the market permanently in 2023. Great news for me, because I tend to gravitate toward rosy shades that lean more nude rather than a true pink, and Pink Honey happens to be just that. My lips are already a soft pink shade, so I like to enhance that hue as opposed to punching it up to brighter levels.

All this to say, I probably wasn’t the best person to write this review (knowing I don’t wear lipstick nor reach for brown and/or berry shades), but I’m glad I did because I rediscovered my love for the Almost Lipstick formula. It’s super buildable (in the photo above I’m wearing three layers of Nude Honey), stays glossy for hours (or at least through multiple office beverages: morning oat milk latte and lunchtime Diet Coke), and comes in a sleek, silver tube that is so slim it could easily fit into any bag, for any occasion.

Associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen wearing Nude Honey.

Associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen wearing Pink Honey.

Associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen wearing Black Honey.

When comparing Nude Honey to the two other Almost Lipstick shades, it’s definitely darker and deeper than Pink Honey (duh), but eerily similar to Black Honey. The difference, on my lips, is that Nude Honey leans more brick red than Black Honey’s berry. Both are great… just not my shade preference. I’m going to have to stick with Pink Honey. I’m now obsessed!

Senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor before applying Nude Honey.

Senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor after applying Nude Honey.

“The formula feels so good on my lips, and gives them a pretty wash of color. Nude Honey looks pink-beige on me, actually brightening up and evening out the tones of my lips, while Black Honey looks berry against my medium skin tone. My only gripe is that this formula highlights the many lines on my lips. On me, I don't think that effect is particularly flattering.”

Commerce editor Sarah Han before applying Nude Honey.

Commerce editor Sarah Han after applying Nude Honey.

“I’m not going to lie: Nude lips have never been my thing. (I’m a bright lip-kinda person, through and through.) I was a little worried that Nude Honey wouldn’t make much of a difference on my lips, but the brown-ish nude is thankfully deep enough to add a subtle wash of color to my pinky lips.

What I’ve always liked about the Almost Lipstick formula is that it’s hydrating enough that I don’t need to apply a balm beforehand. (My lips are always dry!) It glides on so smoothly and is super buildable, so I like to swipe a few layers to amp up the color as much as I can. The downside is because it’s balm-like, a good amount comes off during a meal, but I don’t mind reapplying—it’s second nature, no matter what kind of lip I’m wearing. If I’m not eating, it lasts throughout the morning or afternoon without losing enough pigment to be noticeable.

Commerce editor Sarah Han wearing Nude Honey.

Commerce editor Sarah Han wearing Pink Honey.

Commerce editor Sarah Han wearing Black Honey.

I still prefer Black Honey the most out of the lineup because it leaves the most impact on my lips and is closer to my usual lip color preferences, but Nude Honey is a very solid second for a more casual look (Pink Honey is too light pink for my liking!), and I can definitely see myself reaching for it on my way to the office.”

Clinique’s Nude Honey Almost Lipstick will retail for $25 beginning June 20 at ulta.com. The Pop Lip + Cheek Oil in Nude Honey and All About Shadow Octet in A Nude Honey Mood will also launch on the same day and will retail for $27 and $49, respectively.

Clinique

Ulta Beauty

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